Word Study Wednesday #4

Cleary, Brian P.
The Frail Snail on the Trail.
2009.
Lerner Publishing Group.

Today's post completes the 4-week Word Study Wednesday series with the book titled The Frail Snail on the Trail, another in the "Sounds Like Reading" series, featuring long vowel sounds with consonant blends. Like the first three in the series, this book does not disappoint and would be a wonderful resource in many a classroom!

The Frail Snail on the Trail reaquaints youngsters with the ways in which long vowel sounds are formed (two vowels going walking; vowel, consonant, e; y). However, this book adds new depth to the aspect of reading, as it also introduces consonant blends in long vowel words. Children are again, sure to be chuckling, as the characters are wonderfully illustrated and the rhyming text, funny to read!

Lesson Plans/Learning Activities:

• Consonant Blends and Digraphs
• A Parent's Guide to Phonics
• Words and Pictures - Consonant Clusters

If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com.

Word Study Wednesday - #3!

I received in the mail, 4 books from the Sounds Like Reading series, published by Lerner Publishing. 8 of the books in the series will be released this coming April. I have previously posted a review for Book 1, The Bug in the Jug Wants a Hug and Book 2 in the series, Stop, Drop, and Flop in the Slop. Today's post focuses on The Nice Mice in the Rice, a long vowel sounds book.

Cleary, Brian P.
The Nice Mice in the Rice.
April 2009.
Lerner Publishing.

This book in the "Sounds Like Reading" series stresses long vowel sounds. The book will not only familiarize students with long vowel sound words, but will allow them the opportunity to become familiar with the different ways in which long vowel sound words are formed (e.g. oa, i_e, ai, ea, ay, a_e, ee, o_e).

This book, just like the first two in the series places three words with the spelling rule on the left hand side of the page. The page that follows then repeats the words, asking for children to find the words that sound the same, and in some cases, asking them to pick out a 4th word that sounds like the first three. Of the three books I have reviewed so far, this is perhaps my favorite!

Other Related Books:

• Chicken Soup with Rice and Mice
• Jake's Cake Mistake
• Snail Mail
• Spend a Day in Backwards Bay
• To Sleep, Count Sheep
• Ride and Slide
  

Teaching Activities:

• Pocket Chart Long Vowels
• Scholastic: Long Vowels
• Long Vowel Sounds
• Long Vowel Songs: Spelling Song for Teaching Long Vowels
• Long Vowels with Silent 'e'
  

If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com.

Word Study Wednesday - #2!

I received in the mail, 4 books from the Sounds Like Reading series, published by Lerner Publishing. 8 of the books in the series will be released this coming April. Last Wednesday, I posted a review for Book 1, The Bug in the Jug Wants a Hug. Today, I will be reviewing Book 2 in the series, Stop, Drop, and Flop in the Slop.

Cleary, Brian P.
Stop, Drop, and Flop in the Slop.
April 2009.
Lerner Publishing.

Rhyme, repetition, illustration and phonics principles are used in this book to introduce young readers to consonant blends (st, cl, dr, fl, tr, br, etc.) and short vowel sounds. The book does a good job introducing the consonant blends but could also double to teach word families in a more complex matter, by introducing the consonant blends to the word family. The book is humorous and will certainly have children giggling at the rhyming text and funny ideas presented!

Related Teaching Activities:

• Consonant Clusters (Blends)
• Consonant Blends, Digraphs, Vowels
• Consonant Blends/Digraph Worksheets
• Ahoy, Matey: Practice Consonant Blends
• Blends Game
• Gamequarium Jr.: Blends Games
  

If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com.

Word Study Wednesday - #1!

I received in the mail, 4 books from the Sounds Like Reading series, published by Lerner Publishing. 8 of the books in the series will be released this coming April and for the next 4 weeks, on Wednesdays, I will be posting a review of one of the books in this new word family series. Today, I have a review of the first book, The Bug in the Jug Wants a Hug.

Cleary, Brian P.
The Bug in the Jug Wants a Hug.
April 2009.
Lerner Publishing.

This is a great tool for teaching short vowel word families (-ug, -am, -un, -id, -en, -ot, -og, -et, -at, -ed, -ig, -ink, -an, -ell). While I anticipated the book, based on the title to be about the -ug word family, I was surprised to find that it's about short vowel sound words. I think the best use for this book would be to introduce word families one-by-one, rather than reading the entire book at once.

Despite my initial thoughts on what I anticipated the book to be and being a little discouraged that it wasn't a word family book, I will still definitely be using this in my classroom someday, or lending it out to early elementary teachers whose students will benefit from it!

Other Word -ug Word Family Books:

• Billy the Bug's New Jug
• -ug as in Bug
• Readiness: The -ug Word Family
  

Teaching the -ug Word Family

• Word Family Mini-Book: -ug
• Word Family Preview
• My Pug Has Fun: Phonemic Awareness and Phonics Lesson Plan 22
• Word Families: ug
• Make "ug" Words
  
• All Snug! All Snug!
  

If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com.